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Month: January 2014

Yep, I kissed a girl and I liked it. For those of you that know me, this likely comes as no surprise. Sorry Katy Perry, I am going to borrow the title of your hit song. I hope you don’t mind.

That being said, I feel the urge to tell you about it. You see, that kiss changed me. It changed me physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and probably some other “-ly” words too. That kiss led to some other stuff, mostly a relationship with the woman who belonged to the lips. From there she eventually became my wife. Again, for those of you that know me, this stuff also doesn’t come as a surprise.

The reason, or urge, I want to talk about thatkiss today is because it has been six years since thatkiss. I certainly didn’t know when I kissed her in the car in the parking lot of the community college that it would lead to this. It did and it has. Now, we have been together, through thick and thin (and we have seen the extreme of both) over those last six years. We have been married for 3 1/2 of them. I can’t imagine having anyone else by my side. She is my partner, confidant, best friend, strength, refuge, my…well, you get the point. She is a lot of things to me.

When it came time for the bridal shower I was asked to write “25 Reasons Why I Love Jenn.” The 25 reasons were going to be shared with her at the shower as a surprise. I thought it was a good idea so I complied. The thing is, it was pretty easy to come up with the following 27 reasons (OK, I didn’t comply completely. I am difficult, what can I say?):

I love…

…the way your face lights up when you see me.

…the way you are quick to offer help or say, “I can do that.”

…that you are caring to a fault at times.

…every time you kiss me it still feels like the first time.

…that you are frugal most of the time.

…that you think I am “funny” and laugh at me.

…that I can feel your love and don’t just hear or see it.

…the fact that you are looking forward to making my lunch for school.

…your hand on my back.

…holding your hand in the car.

…that you try to make do.

…that you are happy with simple things.

…that you tell me “I love you” often.

…the little notes that you leave in places for me to find later.

…that you put up with my sounds.

…the cute little way you bite your lip when you are thinking about something.

…that you see me as I am and not the way I see me.

…your willingness to get dirty and to work hard.

…your encouragement in all that I do.

…that you endure the cold and rain to watch me play softball.

…the way you speak your mind.

…that you love my daughter as though she were your own.

…your desire to be a Godly woman and continue to pursue Him.

…that I feel “safe” with you and don’t have to be something or someone I am not.

…that you love me.

…that we can go to church and worship together.

…that you understand teaching is more to me than just going to work and I have more “kids” than my daughter.

I love thatfirst kiss. Obviously, since I am crowing about it even to this day. I kiss that girl every day, multiple times if I can manage it. AND, I still like it! I cherish the list above because of the little things that I saw even then that I knew I loved about her. And now, six years later, on the anniversary of that first kiss, I could probably name a whole bunch of other reasons I love her. Things that I have discovered as time has progressed and I have gotten to know her better. But, I am gonna save those for another day, another anniversary. The point today is this:

Computers have been making it easier and easier to connect with the world for quite some time now. They have been getting better and better at doing it as the years have passed and they are getting faster while doing it at the same time. That is fantastic, until you stop to think about what that could mean if we aren’t careful. Those at Facebook, Google, Amazon, or whatever tech company you name at this point have been working towards a web that allows them to personalize the web to your own tastes and preferences (but really mostly so they can make money marketing stuff to you). This is good to some degree because I don’t want, unnecessarily, to see ads for feminine products. Those things might be useful to those I love, but not to me personally. So, yes, this personalization is good. However, take a look at the video below. Discover what a “filter bubble” is and why total personalization of the web is a bad thing.

I have been thinking about resolutions a lot since the new year, 2014, has begun. I haven’t ever really been one to do a resolution and my mantra has typically been, “My resolution this year is to have no resolutions.” Someone may have said that before me, don’t know and don’t care. But, the beginning of the year has brought the thoughts of resolutions again to the forefront on my mind. I think I am going to try one this year! It is going to be tough and maybe you can help me with it.

I hereby do resolve to have MOREcourage in the face of criticism.

Why? Why do I feel the need to make a resolution this year when I have been so against them in the past? Quite simply, I don’t want to “go with the grain” this year. I am not going to follow the crowd. It is time to stand up and be counted.

These guys, and their thoughts, have motivated me to this decision:

“Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.”

“Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.”-Augustine of Hippo

“The truth is not always the same as the majority decision.” – Pope John Paul II

Who is with me? Anyone else need to do this as well? Leave your comments and thoughts below.